Jail till death

Deterrent punishment is the only way to get the message across that crimes against women will not be tolerated in our society. This much has percolated down after the despicable cases of gangrapes in New Delhi and Mumbai which singed the nation. The judiciary has also responded by passing exemplary sentences against double gang-rapists in one of the Mumbai mills compound cases. By invoking Section 376E of the Indian Penal Code against repeat offenders who were common to the rapes of the telephone operator and the journalist in the Mumbai mill, the judiciary has shown the way. The full-life term or jail till death — widely used in the UK in extreme cases of terrorism, premeditated murder, etc. — is a relatively new concept in India.

It is not only the changes in the laws as suggested by the commission but the change in the national mood that is leading to affirmative action by the executive wings in speeding up the prosecution as well as the judiciary in bringing cases to a quick conclusion. Much more remains to be done. There is a hefty backlog of close to 25,000 cases of rape in 2012 that are still in the trial process. The time has also come to change the laws so that juvenile rapists and murderers do not get away lightly. International laws also point to a clear distinction being made with respect to crimes by the young, with punishment depending on the gravity of the crime.